


A Dog's Life, or The Sad Tale of Why Padfoot Loathes Staffies

by Rosie_Rues



Series: The Rising Storm [20]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-08-13
Updated: 2006-08-13
Packaged: 2017-10-22 19:31:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/241727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosie_Rues/pseuds/Rosie_Rues
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stafford, July, 1979.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Dog's Life, or The Sad Tale of Why Padfoot Loathes Staffies

**Author's Note:**

> August? Gosh, really? More seriously, I know Staffordshire Bull Terriers make lovely family dogs, but they're notoriously aggressive towards other dogs.

“Come on out of there,” Remus said, peering under the bed. “Please.”

He got a low whine, and could see Padfoot hunching down further, head flopped on his front paws, eyes gleaming with misery.

“Sirius,” Remus said, frustrated. The moon would be full tomorrow, and he ached, a steady throb of bones and blood. He really didn’t want to be crawling around the floor in strange hotels.

Another whimper.

“Please. I’m worrying about you. Come out.”

That got movement. He shuffled backwards, heaving himself up onto the bed. Padfoot leapt up after him, shaggy head pressing against his shoulder. Remus rubbed his ears, trying not to breathe in too much of the smell of hot, miserable dog. “Hey. Come on.”

A pained whine.

“You know Staffies hate other dogs,” Remus said, trying not to sound unfeeling. “You should have changed back as soon as it came at you.”

The dog shuddered, and suddenly he had an armful of Sirius, slumped against him, face buried in his neck. “Little bastard bit me, Moony.”

“Poor old Padfoot,” Remus murmured, stroking his hair. “Going to let me see so I can heal it?”

Sirius shrugged against him. “Bitch of an owner didn’t even turn round. Should have eaten the little monster.”

“I’m glad you didn’t,” Remus said. “It would have had consequences.”

Sirius snorted. “That’s what Apparition’s _for_ , Moony. Stupid dog. Should have picked on someone its own size.”

“What?” Remus asked, biting back a grin. “A foot high, and built like a piglet? I knew I should have brought Pete.”

Sirius looked up, grey eyes wide with reproach. “You’re laughing at me, Remus.”

“No, I’m not,” Remus said hurriedly, and not very convincingly. The sight of Padfoot, huge and flabbergasted in the face of a yapping bundle of violence, hadn’t been funny at the time. In retrospect, though…

“I hate you,” Sirius declared, but he didn’t move away, so Remus fought back the quick pang and said, “Really?”

“Absolutely, utterly and totally.”

“Tautology,” Remus said fondly, and kissed him gently. Sirius made an annoyed noise but kissed him back, lips parting as he pressed closer. When the kiss ended, he rested his cheek on Remus’ shoulder, looking a little less shaken.

Remus sighed, running his hand down Sirius’ spine. He’d wanted to wring the stupid creature’s neck himself. Sirius had really only had a few seconds to change before the noise had had everyone in the park staring at them. It wasn’t his fault he’d missed the opportunity, and he’d hadn’t even had the chance to defend himself, even though he was three times the size of the other dog.

“I want to see your leg,” he said. “You were bleeding.”

“S’gone,” Sirius muttered. “Went when I changed. S’idea of yourself that changes, see.”

Remus really didn’t feel up to a philosophical debate, so he let that pass. “Get your trousers off anyway. I want to check.”

“Can’t keep your hands off me, eh?”

Remus grinned. “Too right. Don’t you want me to kiss it better?”

Sirius sniggered and twisted around, t-shirt going over his head before he started wriggling out of his jeans. “Well, since you’re offering, Moony.”

Remus pinned him down. “I’m offering. Now be a good dog, and stay.”

“ _Moony!_ ”

“Ssh,” Remus murmured, nuzzling his way down. “Good dogs get rewards.”

*

The next day it took a certain degree of persuasion to get Sirius to leave the hotel. Remus, who was moon restless, needed fresh air and was worried that Sirius might be wary of changing into Padfoot again. It wasn’t fair, he knew it, but he _needed_ Padfoot at the full moon.

So, here they were in the park, with an hour or so before they had to head north. The air smelt dusty, from the dry earth and the city smells beyond. The grass was yellow and crunched beneath his feet, and the beat of the sun eased some of the cramps in his back a little. It didn’t assuage the horrible craving he had for black pudding, but he was used to that, and could ignore it.

He took a sigh of relief, and then swung round in horror as a torrent of barks broke out. Sure enough, Padfoot was racing across the park towards him, hotly pursued by the same terrier as yesterday.

He could just hear an upper-class female voice calling weakly, “Oh, Truffle, do behave!”

She’d had the _shame_ to come back after the scene yesterday?

“Excuse me!” Remus shouted across at her as Padfoot scooted round him.

She waved her hand at him weakly, and he lost his temper. The bloody creature was snapping around his legs, trying to get at Padfoot, and enough was enough. Wrong dog, wrong day.

He dropped to a crouch, letting the wolf rise, and met the dog’s eyes, ignoring the way its teeth were now worryingly close to his face. Then he snarled.

The Staffie froze.

“Run,” Remus said, imbuing the word with all the threat he could summon.

As the Staffie went streaking into the distance, Remus stood up, feeling rather sheepish.

“Right,” he said. “Well. Um, time to be going?”

Padfoot smirked all the way to the park gates.


End file.
